A day after the nurses heard the Ministry of Finance's proposal, first reported by "Globes", the negotiation between the parties have officially broke down. "The Ministry of Finance continues to treat the nurses like slaves, rather than as workers who are responsible for people's lives every day," said Nurses Union chairwoman Ilana Cohen.
As reported last night, the Ministry of Finance offered the nurses a 12% pay raise spread over five years, and demanded in exchange that they should work two extra shifts a month. The ministry also demanded that 3% of the raise should be distributed differentially, to benefit nurses who work more evening and nights shifts, and that nurses should only receive half of the pay hike given to all public sector employees. As one of the lessons of the agreement with the doctors and the subsequent unrest, the nurses rejected the differential pay hike so long as the raise was small, and the demanded that the raise should be spread over three or four years at the most.
Earlier today, nurses at Rabin Medical Center - Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva began signing a petition against an agreement in the spirit of the Ministry of Finance's proposal, after reports claimed that the Nurses Union was considering a compromise on the matter. It cannot be ruled out that the negotiations broke down because of the unrest in the field, and because of the precedent of the unrest against Israel Medical Association chairman Dr. Leonid Eidelman personally, when, 18 months ago, he signed the long-term agreement which included a differential pay hike, and agreed, for the first time, that doctors would punch the clock.
"The severe shortage of nurses requires an agreement that will provide an immediate solution to the crisis, and make nursing a national priority profession in the near term," said Cohen. "So long as the Ministry of Finance does not change its attitude, the struggle will continue."
The Ministry of Finance said that, at the start of today's meeting, Cohen had made it clear that she would not discuss the matter, in order to hold explanation meetings at hospitals. "We call on the Nurses Union to return to the negotiating table, because we're on the verge of an agreement," the ministry said.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 18, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012